Woman suing Ontario, Peel Region over fluoride in water supply

(File photo)

BRAMPTON, Ont. - A woman has launched a lawsuit against the province of Ontario and Peel Region, challenging the constitutionality of adding fluoride to municipal drinking water.

In a statement of claim filed Thursday in Brampton, Ont., Liesa Cianchino claims risks posed by water fluoridation greatly exceed its benefits.

Cianchino further claims that water fluoridation violates both the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act.

A longtime resident of Mississauga, Ont., Cianchino is chairwoman of Concerned Residents of Peel to End Water Fluoridation.

Her claims argues that fluoride works topically on the teeth and that nothing is gained by ingesting it through drinking water.

Cianchino's claims have not been tested in court, and representatives for Peel Region and Ontario could not be reached for comment.